A complaint filed with Delhi Police has sought an FIR against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi over their alleged conduct during the rendition of Vande Mataram at Independence Day celebrations held at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi.

The complaint, filed by advocates Kunal Vinayak and Shubh Sharma, asks police to examine video footage, determine the intention behind the alleged actions and establish which legal provisions, if any, apply. Delhi Police has acknowledged receiving the complaint and said the matter is being examined.

The complaint focuses on events during the August 15 celebrations at Indira Bhawan. It alleges that Sonia Gandhi appeared to make gestures and communicate with people present while Vande Mataram was being rendered, suggesting an objection to the continuation of some portions of the song.

It also refers to purported video footage in which Rahul Gandhi is alleged to have made a remark about not singing Vande Mataram. The complainants have asked authorities to investigate the exact circumstances, context and intention rather than treating the allegations as established facts.

No FIR against Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi had been reported as registered in the cited Delhi complaint at the time of the latest update. Police were examining the representation.

The incident has sparked another political confrontation between the BJP and Congress. BJP leaders accused the Congress leadership of disrespecting the national song and demanded an apology from Sonia Gandhi.

Congress rejected the allegations, maintaining that there was no attempt to prevent the full rendition of Vande Mataram. The disagreement centres partly on the later stanzas of the song, which have historically been the subject of political and religious debate.

The dispute has since spread beyond Delhi, with complaints also reported in Odisha and Bengaluru and BJP Yuva Morcha members demanding action against Congress leaders.

A significant legal issue is the status of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 cited in connection with the complaint.

The Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on July 24, 2026 and seeks to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. Existing provisions penalise intentionally preventing the singing of the National Anthem or disturbing an assembly engaged in singing it. The proposed amendment seeks to extend similar protection to the National Song, Vande Mataram.

PRS Legislative Research currently lists the measure as introduced, meaning the proposal should not be described as an already enacted new law. The proposed punishment under the amendment is imprisonment of up to three years, a fine, or both.

The political dispute has expanded as BJP youth leaders in other states pursue complaints and protests. In Odisha, BJP Yuva Morcha state president Abhilash Panda accused Congress leaders of obstructing and disrespecting Vande Mataram.

A separate complaint and protest were also reported in Bengaluru, where BJP Yuva Morcha leaders demanded apologies from Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

For now, the Delhi development remains at the complaint and enquiry stage. Whether an FIR is registered will depend on the police assessment of the evidence and applicable law, making the legal status of the allegations different from a finding of wrongdoing.